Timesheet Templates & Best Practices

Overview

Timesheet templates provide standardized formats for recording work hours, ensuring consistency, completeness, and compliance across organizations.

Common Template Types

Weekly Timesheet

• 7 days per sheet
• Daily hour totals
• Weekly summary
• Most popular format

Bi-Weekly Timesheet

• 14-day period
• Matches common pay cycles
• Two-week totals
• Less frequent submission

Monthly Timesheet

• Full month view
• Higher-level summary
• Good for salaried tracking
• Less detail granularity

Project-Based

• Organized by project
• Multiple projects per sheet
• Task-level detail
• Billable vs non-billable

Daily Timesheet

• Single day detail
• Hourly breakdown
• Task-by-task
• Maximum granularity

Essential Fields

1. Employee Information

   • Name
   • ID/Number
   • Department
   • Manager

2. Time Period

   • Start date
   • End date
   • Pay period

3. Daily Hours

   • Date
   • Start time
   • End time
   • Break duration
   • Total hours

4. Project/Task

   • Project code
   • Task description
   • Billable status
   • Client name

5. Totals

   • Regular hours
   • Overtime hours
   • Total hours
   • Billable hours

6. Approvals

   • Employee signature
   • Date signed
   • Manager approval
   • Approval date

Best Practices

For Employees

1. Fill out daily
2. Be specific in descriptions
3. Accurate to 15 minutes
4. Submit on time
5. Keep backup records

For Managers

1. Review promptly
2. Check for anomalies
3. Verify project codes
4. Approve consistently
5. Provide feedback

For Organizations

1. Standard format across company
2. Clear instructions provided
3. Regular training
4. Digital over paper
5. Integration with payroll

Digital vs. Paper

Paper Timesheets:

• Pros: No technology needed, portable
• Cons: Error-prone, hard to analyze, storage issues

Digital Timesheets:

• Pros: Automatic calculations, easy reporting, integrations
• Cons: Requires technology, training needed

Free Templates Available

• Excel/Google Sheets
• PDF forms
• Word documents
• Online timesheet generators
• Industry-specific templates